My dream house would share a front courtyard with a senior who enjoys the laughter of children and at least one other young family who is keen on snow forts.

How about you?

We have streets and streets of single-family homes — one box per family — and that’s good, but maybe there are other options. Just like families, maybe one size doesn’t fit all.

That’s why I’m excited about Edmonton’s new Missing Middle infill design competition launched over the holidays and running until March. Architects and developers from across Canada and the world can compete to propose the most innovative, lovely-looking, medium-density project. The winner gets to buy five city-owned lots to build it.

The line of city lots are at 112 Avenue and 106 Street, across from Kingsway Mall in the neighbourhood of Spruce Avenue. They’re valued at $1.7 million and need to hold a minimum of 15 housing units of various sizes to be eligible.

The winner will also get their city rezoning fees waived.

“It will help us understand what types of designs are possible,” said Jason Syvixay, the principal city planner organizing the competition. The contest has cash prizes up to $8,000 and has been endorsed by the Alberta Association of Architects. All entries that are judged financially and technically feasible will be posted online.

City planners will use all the proposals to inform their upcoming city-wide zoning bylaw review.

Neighbours in Spruce Avenue are mostly on board. They got the chance to help shape the judging criteria, suggesting bonus points for environmental sustainability, affordability, designs that encourage new residents to meet their neighbours on the street, or options for intergenerational living.

Five city-owned lots in Spruce Avenue will be available for sale to whoever wins the Missing Middle Design Competition. City officials were unable to say why the city owns the land, but it’s beside the Metro Line LRT.Larry Wong /
POSTMEDIA NETWORK

The few residents against the project seemed worried about change, the ambiguity involved in a design competition and having something other than single-family homes in the neighbourhood. Infill can get a bad rap, said Josh Culling, an urban planning student and vice-president of the Spruce Avenue Community League.

But that’s the other benefit of a design competition. It gives us an opportunity to have another serious conversation about good infill design.

When infill gets a rough ride in Edmonton, it’s often for good reasons. Long, blank walls and front yards devoid of trees aren’t exactly friendly, and when homes are built so close to the property line the neighbour’s fence falls in, that’s bound to cause frustration.

I understand why people object to towers or apartment buildings, too. They often feel closed off from the rest of the street because of the way they are built today. It’s hard to know how to even invite those residents to a block party.

City of Edmonton planners are hoping to encourage more medium density projects. They call this the “missing middle” because there are so few of these buildings built.Supplied, City of Edmonton

In Spruce Avenue, people want the new project to fit in the neighbourhood, said Culling. That could mean it has a similar look and roofline to existing homes, but it could also be about making sure the height is lower next to a neighbouring low-density home. It could mean including front porches, multiple ground level entrances, and garden boxes or other usable semi-private space to draw residents outside.

“We would really love for it to be a project that … feels open in its design to the community. So it doesn’t feel like an island. It feels cohesively part of Spruce Avenue,” he said.

That’s the challenge I hope architects will focus on. Edmonton is a good city, but we don’t have a corner on happiness and great design. We have many residents who struggle with social isolation —there are so many reasons to stay inside and few current house designs encourage the informal mixing that builds local relationships.

The deadline to register for the competition is Feb. 4, with a submission deadline of March 1, and city planners hope to have designs online by March 29 for a vote by public choice.

Five architects and planners from across Canada will visit Edmonton to judge submissions April 3-4. They’re planning a “zoning hack-a-thon” to reform Edmonton’s code at the same time, and scheduling a public panel discussion to explore the best ideas.

Let’s dream big. If you want great design, share your ideas and send the link to your favourite architect.

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